TOAH NNEST excited at Minister’s news

Te Ohaakii a Hine
National Network Ending Sexual Violence Together are excited
to hear about the funding boost announced today by Minister
Bennett.

“The funding boost will provide much
needed support to specialist organisations within the sexual
violence sector, many of which are struggling week to week
to keep their doors open. ” said Tania Blomfield, the
chair of the Tauiwi Caucus of TOAH NNEST.

“This will
go a long way towards ensuring that the organisations
currently working in this specialist field are able to
continue to provide services to those in need while a long
term sustainable funding solution is developed,” she
stated.

“Minister Bennett is right. It is a basic
right that people should feel safe and secure and free of
fear, which is too often taken away from people through
sexual violence.”

Paetakawaenga Executive spokesman for
Nga Kaitiaki Mauri of TOAH NNEST Russell Smith is also
pleased by this news.

“Many of our services welcome the
funding boost Minister Bennett has allocated for our sector.
Hopefully this will translate into funding for our kaupapa
Maori services. Our hope is that frontline urban and rural
kaupapa Maori survivor and harmful sexual behaviour services
are supported well by easing the process by which to access
these funds”.

He goes on to say “This will help
reduce the burgeoning needs we are confronted with on a
daily basis. Many of our services have had to operate on the
goodwill of the people within these services. So for us this
is a much received and needed injection of funds. So to
Minister Bennett, thank you”.

Tania Blomfield further
added that since becoming the lead Minister for the sexual
violence sector, Minister Bennett has worked diligently
towards seeking workable solutions for the cash strapped
sector, and during the last year, significant gains have
been made in raising awareness of the financial plight the
sector faces on a daily basis.

“TOAH NNEST are
incredibly grateful for the work Minister Bennett has done,
and we also want to acknowledge the tremendous effort of Dr
Kim McGregor, who resigned from TOAH NNEST late last
year, but who has also put many years hard work into
achieving this
goal”

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